The back-to-school season is an exciting time for students, but for families already working hard to cover the costs of food, rent and other essentials, the expense of getting ready for a new school year can be overwhelming.

That’s why our Student Life Shop is so important. Over the past few months, an incredible community effort has come together to prepare to support nearly 250 students living in Loveland.

Our back-to-school event is designed to give children an opportunity to make their own selections. Students get to choose a brand-new backpack that matched their personality and style. They also received school supplies selected specifically for their grade and school, along with additional essentials they can use throughout the school year.

Giving students the opportunity to choose their own backpack and supplies makes the experience about more than just meeting a need. It gives them a sense of choice, independence, and excitement as they prepare to walk into the new school year ready to learn.

An event like this takes months of preparation and we are especially grateful to Sharon, Betsey, Elizabeth, and Carolina, our event coordinators, who worked to make it all come together. They spent time securing donations, organizing supplies, packing backpacks, and making sure everything was ready for the children and families who attended.

We also want to thank the many volunteers and donors who helped make the event possible. From donating school supplies and personal care items to setting up stations, assisting families, and keeping everything moving on event day, so many people came together to help local students start the school year feeling prepared and confident.

One of the most popular parts of our Empty Bowls fundraiser last year was our mystery gift card raffle and we need your help to make it a success!

We’re looking for gift card donations of $25 or more to area restaurants, shops, entertainment venues, and other local businesses. Have a gift card you received but won’t use? We’d be happy to put it to good use! You can also purchase a new gift card from a local business to donate.

Gift cards can be dropped off at the LIFE Food Pantry in an envelope labeled “Empty Bowls – Sue Kentrup.”

Thank you for helping us create a fun raffle for our guests while supporting LIFE Food Pantry and the families we serve!

The Simply Give by Meijer program makes it easy to help families right here in our community. During the campaign, simply purchase a $10 Simply Give donation card at checkout, and that $10 is converted into a Meijer food-only gift card and donated directly to LIFE Food Pantry.

Simply Give is especially meaningful because LIFE is able to choose the food and essential items our families need most. Some items seem to fly off the shelves at LIFE and with Simply Give, we are able to purchase items such as milk, butter, toilet paper, diapers, and laundry detergent.

The Simply Give Fall Campaign runs through September 26, with Double Match Days on Saturday, August 15, and Saturday, September 12. On these special days, Meijer will match your $10 Simply Give donation with an additional $20.

That means your $10 donation becomes $30 for LIFE Food Pantry!

Next time you’re shopping at Meijer, consider grabbing a Simply Give card at checkout. It’s an easy way to turn your everyday grocery trip into an opportunity to help local families.

This year’s Stuff the Bus campaign was an incredible example of what can happen when a community comes together to support its neighbors. Led by the Loveland City School District Transportation Department in partnership with Kroger and LIFE Food Pantry, the initiative helped ensure local children will have access to kid-friendly foods throughout the summer months.

The community’s generosity was on full display. During the two weeks leading up to the event, shoppers at the Loveland Kroger donated 1,080 pounds of food. On the day of the event, an additional 2,039 pounds were collected at the Loveland and Branch Hill Kroger locations in just 4 short hours.

Together, our community donated an astounding 3,119 pounds of food—more than 1.5 tons—to support local children.

A special thank you goes to Lisa Moorhead, whose coordination and leadership helped make the event a success from start to finish. We are also grateful to Heath “Taco” Daily for lending a hand with the heavy lifting and to bus drivers Tracy Simmons, Scott Livesay, and Elizabeth Blust for their dedication during the event.

LIFE would also like to recognize the many staff members who worked behind the scenes, collecting and sorting donations from Kroger stores in the weeks leading up to the event. Their efforts ensured that every donation was organized and ready to reach families in need.

Finally, thank you to the Loveland football team members whose muscle power, along with access to the district’s lift buses, made transporting thousands of pounds of food possible.

Because of the Transportation Department’s vision, the commitment of school staff and students, and the generosity of our community, this year’s Stuff the Bus campaign was an overwhelming success. Together, we are helping ensure local children have the food they need to thrive all summer long.